2022 Hacking and Riding

Huggy

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Nov 11, 2018
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Don't know how to re post, so see 2021 for my first ride of this year! Suffice to say it was lovely! Hope we all have as much fun as we did last year.šŸŽ
 
Chunkys been out for his ride today. That was 2 miles. With me on foot walking the muddy track. Then got back and grabbed Billy and took him down the road for and in hand walk. So Chunky got an extra mile too.

Was hoping to get the boys out yesterday for the last day of the year, but after doing all my other animals i came over with a wacking headache so curled up on the sofa instead. Sure the boys didnt mind.
 
I too hope to join in with this thread later in the year. I have decided to start looking for a new horse in July when I graduate from my MSc. I will then (hopefully) have grieved for Ben properly and will be able to see a new horse objectively and not try to find an extra replica of him. In the meantime I may well take friends up on offers to ride their horses. I haven't sat on a horse since July last year so I am a little rusty.
 
I too hope to join in with this thread later in the year. I have decided to start looking for a new horse in July when I graduate from my MSc. I will then (hopefully) have grieved for Ben properly and will be able to see a new horse objectively and not try to find an extra replica of him. In the meantime I may well take friends up on offers to ride their horses. I haven't sat on a horse since July last year so I am a little rusty.
Good for you, taking it at your own pace.
 
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I hope to join in soon, Iā€™m going to see if I can pinch a few rides on friends horses in the next few weeks as although I feel ready to back Niko that has just reminded me; I donā€™t think Iā€™ve sat on a horse in 18 months and am probably very rusty too!
Bet you'll be fine, you'll just hop on and be great! I haven't sat on Zi in two years exactly Christmas day! Eeek - not even sure if I can get on him now, my legs have gone stiff.
 
Bet you'll be fine, you'll just hop on and be great! I haven't sat on Zi in two years exactly Christmas day! Eeek - not even sure if I can get on him now, my legs have gone stiff.
Itā€™s the stiffness that worries me, or even worse a hip cramp at the wrong moment could be a disaster, better to get stretched out on something already backed šŸ‘šŸ»
 
Bet you'll be fine, you'll just hop on and be great!
For me it didnt happen like that. One doesnt exactly hop on or off after a break. I remembered how to canter but mounting and dismounting were a problem.
After a year not riding due to Covid lock down, I returned post vaccination last March.
It turns out that ankle strength is vital to European riding. I had put on weight. My left ankle in the stirrup tended just to turn over sideways when asked to support the whole of my weight.

I did some NHS on line exercises for both ankle strength and balance and I also lost some weight. So in the end I was OK but I am now again nervous about dismounting because last week I toppled backwards in a heap on the tarmac - no bones broken but a very bruised right elbow now, a rainbow of colours.
 
For me it didnt happen like that. One doesnt exactly hop on or off after a break. I remembered how to canter but mounting and dismounting were a problem.
After a year not riding due to Covid lock down, I returned post vaccination last March.
It turns out that ankle strength is vital to European riding. I had put on weight. My left ankle in the stirrup tended just to turn over sideways when asked to support the whole of my weight.

I did some NHS on line exercises for both ankle strength and balance and I also lost some weight. So in the end I was OK but I am now again nervous about dismounting because last week I toppled backwards in a heap on the tarmac - no bones broken but a very bruised right elbow now, a rainbow of colours.
Lol the "hopping on and off" was just a figure of speech! Hahaha, don't take it so seriously, Jessey will know what I meant. ;)
 
Just played in a lull here

He was silly but didnt yank me off .my feet.

I have to be very careful.
Its hard to say this but its really too warm
For too much carrying on being silly.

Hes about as full of mud as he could cram onto himself..

MR MUDBALL....

HE did settle down finally
To nice halts ... and reverse of direction.

We will have a flash freeze tonite.
The footing in the little sand arena was
Nicely drained soft so hopefully it will stay decent.
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Ohhh SKIB GLAD YOUR OK

I find the dismount the hardest too.
Dismounting was what did for my feet. I ended up with a year and a half's worth of plantar fasciitis due to landing hard onto concrete. It started at the old house jumping off Storm. Then what finally did for me was getting of mr zi. Wow the foot zingers I had. I didn't give it much thought at the time but collectively that and wellington boots caused it. Mr Trews helps me off Zi now - I don't care how helpless I look lol
 
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Just played in a lull here

He was silly but didnt yank me off .my feet.

I have to be very careful.
Its hard to say this but its really too warm
For too much carrying on being silly.

Hes about as full of mud as he could cram onto himself..

MR MUDBALL....

HE did settle down finally
To nice halts ... and reverse of direction.

We will have a flash freeze tonite.
The footing in the little sand arena was
Nicely drained soft so hopefully it will stay decent.
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Now there's me thinking Sonny NEVER got muddy! Lol he's still handsome.
 
I got in the habit of mounting and dismounting using the mounting block with Billy. When i think back to when i first had him he wouldnt stand at a block or a gate at all. Getting on was a right palaver. I could have killed him. Eventually he learned. Its the one thing he learned to do well.
He knew whenever we got back from a hack he automatically went to the block turned himself and placed himself so i could dismount. I hate dismounting to the ground its so painful.
 
I always use a block to mount.
Not always on dismount depending on where I am.

Sonny stands very nicely for both but even dismounting to a block no matter how nicely he is standing sometimes getting my leg over is a bit of a struggle.

Years ago MAX was funny

I had a good size tall platform w steps off to the side cause I rode Bareback a lot. Max always put himself right over along the side of it .
If you came straight into it he would on his own shimmy around parallel to it..

Sometimes he would TAKE YOU over
Position perfectly and say
WE ARE DONE..
He was quite the character.
 
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